Icecream Star Sparkles
by Moro-moro
Summary: A choice is initiated, and a competetion ensues. But when Eiri Yuki comes up short, is it Ryuichi that Shuichi turns to? Because without a love that sparkles, how can you even try again? ShuxYuki/ShuxRyu. Rating is subject to change.
1. Chapter 1: Ne, Shuichi

_**A/N:** This fanfiction was originally written as a role-play type thing with a friend of mine, whose username is Atrophic Soliloquy on Gaiaonline. This takes a different tone than what I normally write, because it's mostly fluff, and I only re-glossed it; I mean, wow… Going back and editing, I realized that it has more of the Gravitation tone that Ricochet (: inner voice: Of course, you dolt! That was mainly ANGST!) ... Chapters may be slow in coming, cause, uh… we're still writing…. It's kind of a 'what could have happened instead of…' of Gravitation Ex…? Eh, a continuation of some of the events in Gravitation Ex? No… not that, because Nittle Grasper's still a band… A combination of the three??? Whatever it is, I hope you guys enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: The characters of Gravitation do not belong to me; if they did… well... This story only half belongs to me, the plot half-belonging to Atrophic Soliloquy, and I have only taken creative liberty with it. To her I say: Thanks babe and I love you, Sin-chan! _

_**(PS: The next to final chapter of Ricochet will be up in a few days. The ending needs polishing and editing, but I assure you, it'll KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!)**

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**Chapter One: ****Ne, Shu-i-chi… **

Eiri Yuki wrinkled his nose, concentration breaking entirely. He could hear Shuichi banging around in the kitchen, looking for something; sugar, no doubt. It always amazed the writer that Shuichi could be this… peppy… this early in the morning. Then again, it amazed Yuki that the musician could manage to wake him up… but here he was, awake.

"Yuki!" Shuichi cried sweetly, bounding up to the sofa in which his lover sat. He leaned over the back of the window-facing couch, his head laying comfortably on Yuki's shoulder. "Do we have anymore pocky?"

Yuki sideways at the bubble-gum pop star, his eyes straining to see the little bit of Shuichi's face that he could see. "Why would I know? I don't keep up with your crap."

"You shop," the vocalist whined, draping his arms over the back of the sofa, his fingers curling into the fabric of Yuki's white shirt.

"I find it disgusting that you eat pocky for breakfast."

Shuichi gave a huff of disapproval. "Always jumping to conclusions, Eiri Yuki-san!" he scolded. "It's not for me. It's for Rik-chan."

For the second time in minutes, Yuki wrinkled his nose: The kid was way less than bearable.

"I'm putting it into his lunch, because I'm sure you'll forget to _feed_ him."

"Whatever," the novelist grunted, trying hard to turn his attention back to the wrinkled paper that he had abandoned a few minutes before.

"Remember to drop him off at the rehearsal office, you remember where that is, _right_?" Now there was a gloating tone in Shuichi's voice; he knew well and good that Yuki wouldn't forget where that particular room was at NG-Studios. In fact, just a week before, they'd had a nice little make-out session there.

Gaining no response, Shuichi snickered and tipped his head to bite Yuki's ear, gaining a shiver from his novelist lover.

Yuki reached up, tipping Shuichi's lips against his own, kissing the pop-star deeply.

Shuichi climbed over the edge of the sofa, somehow managing to not break the kiss. He slowly slid his fingers over Yuki's shoulders, enjoying the feel of rumpled cotton and smooth skin against his slim hands.

Just as Yuki was about to take the kiss further, Shuichi pulled away and promptly bounced back into 'super-hyper Shuichi mode'. "So don't forget to come to the studio at two with Rik-chan, okaaay," he bubbled, cheeks flushed and eyes bright.

"Yeah, sure… two," Yuki grumbled, pushing his over-hyped lover off of his lap. Shuichi gave a soft whine, but the romance novelist ignored this, barreling on to the next subject. "Are you gonna be home for dinner?" he inquired a few minutes later, twisting around to look at the vocalist, who was now in the kitchen once again.

The boy, who was still clad in his pajamas—shorts and a tank-top— paused in fixing his breakfast. "I… I dunno," he mumbled slowly. His fingers toyed with the rim of his bowl, and he seemed to think for a long moment. "Tohma's still really pissed about our 'misuse' of the studio…"

At this, Yuki snorted; of course the fedora-wearing pompous pianist would be ticked.

"And he has Bad Luck against the grindstone… I don't think I'll be home before eleven…" Shuichi whispered.

Yuki shrugged, returning to the paper.

"Were you offering to fix me dinner, Yuki?" Shuichi questioned, slowly uncapping the milk. "Because if you were, I can try an—"

"I wasn't offering, you brat! I was just wondering when you were going to break the peace. Y'know, so I'll know when to lock my door!"

At this Shuichi gave a soft wince. It was like that between the two, lately. "Ha, and here I was thinking you'd be nice today," Shuichi said, laughing faintly.

Behind the haven of the morning paper, Yuki was biting his lip. _Well this turned out just peachy… _

For the rest of the time that Shuichi had before he left, he was quiet, and kept away from Yuki.

"I'm leaving," he mumbled, opening the door.

"See you," Yuki grumbled, flipping on the television.

Shuichi nodded. "Hey…Yuki, you love me, right?"

Yuki frowned, and turned to look at the now-dressed rock star. He took in Shuichi's normal endearing appearance; messy livid pink hair, large violet eyes, ripped jeans, tennis shoes, a tight shirt with a vest, and a conglomeration of rubber-band bracelets. That paired with the vocalist's 'there's really nothing wrong with the world' innocence and naivety, what wasn't to love? "Yeah, of course I do," the blonde answered, giving a short shrug.

"Then why don't you ever say it…? Or at least… y'know, act like it?" Shuichi whispered, closing the door behind him as he left.

"Don't tell me it's writer's block again, Shindou-san!" Suguru groaned, running a hand through spiky green hair. "We're a _band_, and that means we work _together_! Nakano-san and I have already done _our_ part! _Get working_!"

Shuichi gave a dramatic sigh. "You just don't understand the workings of a brilliant genius Suguru…" the vocalist paused for a long moment, staring down at his blank paper. "_Artists are doomed to failure_!!!" he wailed, covering his head with his arms.

Suguru gave a frustrated sigh and tried again. "Shindou-san," he stared.

At this new attempt, Shuichi began to bawl. "Nooooooooooo!!!!"

In the corner, Sakano was busy having a fit. "The concert's tomorrow and we don't have a song... oh; Sacho will fire me for sure this time!"

Over in the calm corner of the room, Suguru rubbed his temples, trying in vain to stop the oncoming migraine.

"Why can't we get a ghost writer or something?!" Shuichi groaned. "I can't suffer like this anymore! We should suck it up at writing our own lyrics!"

Hiro looked at Shuichi, cocking an eyebrow. After listening to Shuichi lament for a few more minutes, he raised the ever-present question: "Does this have something to do with Yuki-san?"

Shuichi blinked innocently. "Why, now... Hiro, why would you ever think that?" Inwardly, the vocalist winced. Even though Yuki had been somewhat nice lately, he still cringed at the thought of writing lyrics just to get them slammed.

Hiro shrugged. "That's the general problem in these situations," he said genially.

"But Yuki's been nice lately," Shuichi murmured tentatively.

"Then why're so depressed about it?" Hiro laughed, plopping down with his guitar. "Just write something. We can all polish it later."

"But I just can't!"

At this latest protest, Suguru finally snapped. After a long fight between him and Shuichi, K had finally had enough.

"Just write the lyrics!!!" he commanded, swiftly pressing his revolver to Shuichi's temple.

"Hiro, help me!" Shuichi squeaked. This earned a shrug and an "I'd better do what he says," from his red-head friend.

Shuichi's eyes darted to the clock, and he realized that it was five minutes until two. Quickly, he came up with a harebrained scheme to escape.

He pretended to faint.

While the rest of Bad Luck was trying to calm Sakano down from his latest neurotic fit, Shuichi slipped out the hall, grinning like an idiot.

-

Meanwhile, the studio across the hall was having problems of their own… A.K.A, a childlike, high-functioning idol with his pink companion…

"Nu-uhh, Tohma! Me an' Kumagoro don't like that song! It's not sparkly enough," Ryuichi huffed, tossing aside a candidate for Nittle Grasper's newest song.

"But Ryu-san," Tohma began to protest, but instead had a rather fuzzy pink rabbit shoved in his face.

"'Sides, me an' Kuma-chan wanna do a duet with Shuichi!" The thirty-one year-old brunette said, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Tohma, fix it!" Noriko hissed, yanking Tohma away from the childish singer rather roughly.

"Why don't we take a short break, Ryu-san?"

-

Shuichi wandered out onto the balcony, staring out into the entrance for N-G Pro. In the background, songs from the company's bands played, but overwriting that were the shouts and groans—and the occasional gunshot explosions— of Bad Luck's crew and members searching for their missing singer.

"Boo!!!"

Shuichi blinked out of his reverie—slightly startled— and turned to face his idol/friend, Ryuichi Sakuma. The man was as illogical as ever, his clothes completely contradicting his behavior and cute pink bunny—a man who acted like a five year old should just not wear leather pants and chains! "Hey, Sakuma-san," Shuichi laughed, receiving the customary hello glomp from both the singer and his rabbit.

Ryuichi giggled, plopping his hands on his hips. "You shoulda seen your face, Shu-chan! I scared you didn't I?"

Shuichi nodded, laughing along.

"Ne, Shu-i-chi, whatcha doing out here?"

"I'm waiting for Yuki," Shuichi replied calmly. "He's bringing Rik-chan, and I think we'll all have lunch together."

Ryuichi scowled, his eyes growing sharp, Kumagoro falling to the floor as the older techno-star reached out and grabbed the railing on either side of Shuichi.

"Wha-what is it Sakuma-san?"

Ryuichi raised a hand and gently touched Shuichi's cheek. "Ne, Shu-i-chi, why couldn't it be _me_ you're waiting for?" he whispered, bringing Shuichi's mouth to his own.

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**_To be continued in Chapter Two: The Most Obvious Truth of All_**


	2. Chapter 2: The Most Obvious Truth of All

_**A/N: Aww... I love you guys... You make me so happy... It's so encouraging to hear that you like my stuff-- but remember, this one's not ALL mine. Disregarding the rest of Gravitation Ex after Ryu and Shu's last kiss. Yeah. The songs are: "Into the Ocean" by Blue October, and "Damaged" by Plummet.**_

_**Disclaimer: Aforementioned songs: No belong to me. Half the plot: No belong to me. Gravitation: No belong to me. Now that we've got that one settled…

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**Chapter Two: The Most Obvious Truth of All**

The first instinct that Shuichi had was to run. Just run; far away, anywhere would do. Then the other instinct took over—the one that reasoned that it was actually very nice right here, making out with Ryuichi Sakuma for the second time that month with Yuki watching from behind Ryu once again… _**WAIT A SECOND**_.

Shuichi's eyes fell wide open, and he pressed his hands to his idol's shoulders, pushing the man away.

Ryuichi blinked, and then slowly turned his eyes to the wide-eyed in shock author. "Well, Eiri Yuki-san… What do you have to say for finding me kissing your boy toy again?" he purred. "I mean, twice you've found us."

Yuki glared blankly at Ryuichi then shrugged.

Shuichi stared helplessly before the two. "Yuki, I didn't mean it, it just happened!"

Yuki looked down at Shuichi, a painful mixture of anger and sadness brewing in his eyes, but then he shrugged again, and laid a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "It's okay… I understand."

Ryuichi wrinkled his nose, watching Shuichi throw himself against Yuki in a hug. "Well, whatever," he muttered, stalking off, scooping up the almost forgotten pink plush.

"Yuki, I'm serious, I didn't mean to at all!"

Yuki slowly pushed Shuichi off of his chest, holding him out at arm's length. He stared directly into the musician's dark violet eyes. "Shuichi… Who do you want more? Me or him?" he asked quietly.

Shuichi's eyes darted away from Yuki's face. "I… Riku must be hungry, why don't we go and… Not now, Yuki… I mean… it should be _obvious_…"

Yuki gently shook Shuichi, shaking his head once he stopped the soft babble that the boy was gushing. "No. Shuichi, it's not. You've… I've found you and him together twice now. _I_ don't know. _You_ need to make it clear."

Shuichi's eyes widened and a tremor passed through his body. "But it is…" The protest was weak and lame, even to Shuichi's well tuned ears. It fell limp against his lips, and he knew that he wasn't sure. It was Yuki he loved, wasn't it? The one he'd loved for what seemed like forever; the one he stayed with… But then there was Ryuichi… Who proclaimed that he loved Shuichi… He'd always adored Ryuichi, and now… Shuichi clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. "I don't know, I don't!!"

Yuki grimaced. His hands dropped from Shuichi's thin shoulders. Then, everything seemed to fall flat for him. He had wanted to hear the answer he wanted, but he got nothing even close. "Well… There will be a house key under the mat. You can come back when you want… To stay, or to move out," the blonde said coldly. With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of NG, leaving a dark, brooding cloud over the world's most-lighthearted singer.

Shuichi stood in shock for a long while; finally tears began to fall heavily from his eyes and he dropped to his knees, hands falling over his head, almost as if he were shielding himself from the crumbling pieces of his world.

Through his shock, Shuichi heard music floating through the dead silence of the studios.

"_... Wish I was much more masculine,_

_Maybe then I could learn to swim,_

_Like fifteen miles away,_

_Now floating up and down I spin colliding into sound,_

_Like whales beneath me, diving down,_

_I'm sinking to the bottom of my,_

_Everything it freaks me out,_

_The lighthouse beam has just run out,_

_I'm cold as cold as cold can be._

_I wanna swim away but don't know how,_

_Sometimes it feels just_

_Like I'm falling into the ocean,_

_Let the waves come and take me down,_

_Let the hurricane set in motion, yea,_

_Let the rain of what I feel right now come down,_

_Oh let the rain come down!"_

Shuichi cradled his head in his hands, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He loved Yuki, surely, but… All he got was little better than nothing. He was ignored, berated, yelled at, and slightly abused when it came to deadline time. Around Yuki, everything felt stifled and faked…

Then there was Ryuichi… He was kind—a little on the odd side, but he felt at home around the older idol. There was something comforting about the way that the brunette singer always worried about him.

Shuichi worked his fingers through his hair, sobs choking out from his throat.

Why was this so hard?!

* * *

Riku bit his lip, staring sadly at his pink-haired caretaker. With a frown, he toddled off, searching for the studio he was brought to every day.

Hiro was the only one left in the room, fingers working away at his cell phone. He looked up, then grinned at the small boy. "Hey, do you know where Shuichi is?" he asked, leaning down to ruffle Riku's hair.

Riku pointed out towards the balcony. "Mom's upset," he whispered tentatively.

Hiro frowned. "Well, come on, let's go find him…"

Hiro found Shuichi worked into a corner of the platform that overlooked the NG lobby. He was curled up, his head tucked between his knees, his hands still tightly tangled in his hair. He looked an utter mess.

With a sigh, the redhead leaned down next to his friend. "Shu… Hey, Shu, tell me what's wrong…?"

Shuichi blinked blearily up at Hiro, his eyes refocusing slowly.

"C'mon sleepyhead. What went down with Mr. Writer?"

A soft cry passed through Shuichi's lips and he shook his head. "Why isn't it fucking obvious who I love?!" He shouted, pounding his fist to the floor.

Riku rushed forward, grabbing Shuichi's hand, repeating the soft mantra that was generally reserved for Yuki. Hiro just frowned. "What?"

"He doesn't believe that I love him! I don't know, maybe I don't! I just don't know what to do! He said either it was him or Ryuichi… God dammit, I know what I have to do! I'm just going to sing!"

Shuichi stood suddenly, Riku and Hiro blinking in confusion. Hiro shrugged at the kid, then took him by the hand, both following Shuichi helplessly.

Shuichi stormed into Bad Luck's studio, knocking a panicking Sakano out of the way. He riffled through the lyrics book, until he found a song that he had written himself. He threw the book to an irate Suguru. "Play the score. Now," he commanded, with such a force only seen in one other idol.

Suguru blinked, then scurried over to the synthesizer, the rest of Bad Luck's crew looking on semi-amusedly. Shuichi took his place behind the microphone and as the song started, he sang the lyrics that that he had hoped would never be brought to light.

"_Can't go back,_

_Can't go back..._

_Dreaming comes so easily,_

'_Cause it's all that I've known,_

_True love is a fairytale,_

_I'm damaged,_

_So how would I know?_

_I'm scared,_

_And I'm alone_

_I'm ashamed_

_And I need for you to know_

_I didn't say all the things that I wanted to say_

_And you can't take back,_

_What you've taken away_

'_Cause I feel you near me…"_

From outside Bad Luck's studio, a certain pink-bunny-totting rock star was eavesdropping. "Does that mean they broke up, Kuma-chan?" Ryuichi mumbled, staring at the rabbit in wonder.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" Noriko snapped, grabbing Ryuichi by the collar. "Did you cause trouble for Bad Luck again!?"

"I'd never dream of it, Noriko-chan. I'm just helping Shu-chan discover some rather obvious truths," he laughed.


	3. Chapter 3: Trial One: YUKI!

_**A/N:** Quick, get rid of Riku!! I don't know what to do with him! XD! (The next two chapters will be coming faster, because I'm totally charged! My birthday was Tuesday, and I got the entire anime; I'M PUMPED!!!)

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**Chapter Three: Trial One—Yuki!**

Yuki was regretting breaking up with Shuichi; he was just mad. But hearing Ryuichi gloat like he was doing something noble just reignited the anger. So maybe it wasn't the best thing to try and talk to Shuichi again, but here he was, doing just so.

"Hey." Yuki grabbed Shuichi's shoulder, completely startling the boy—the novelist could swear that he jumped three feet.

Shuichi turned large, sorrowful eyes upon Yuki, shivering. "Ah," he gasped, hanging his head. "I… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was wrong for me to leave like that," Yuki grumbled, hugging Shuichi close.

"A…Aren't you m-mad at me?"

Shuichi felt the blonde give a short shrug. "I was, but I… No, I'm not, Shuichi. I shouldn't have left."

Shuichi's lavender eyes widened, and he stifled a cry of surprise. "Let's just go home," Yuki suggested, gesturing weakly to Riku, "The three of us," he mumbled awkwardly.

"_How can one man stop his ending? I thought of just your face, relaxed, and floated into space_," sang a clear, startlingly familiar voice.

Strolling up to the superstar couple, hands tucked nonchalantly in his pockets, was Ryuichi. He smirked at Shuichi, who went stiff as a rod.

"Now, now," he scolded, eyeing Yuki's hold on Shuichi. "You can't really be serious, writer-san. Just a few minutes ago, you left Shuichi to rot. Now you're all over him. Can you even blame the poor boy for coming on to someone else?"

Shuichi's face fell blank. "Sakuma-san! Stop it! Stop screwing around!"

Ryuichi's azure eyes came to rest on Shuichi. "I'm not; I'm serious as hell, Shuichi. Can you even honestly say that you haven't enjoyed kissing me? Can you say that you love him unconditionally anymore? How long can you go on living a lie?"

Shuichi began to shake, teeth chattering as his breath grew short. "N…No… I… it's not a lie! I love him! I do!"

"And about me, Shuichi?"

"I… I… lo… I lo…"

Ryuichi smirked, winking at Yuki. "I say that Shuichi here has a decision to make."

Shuichi closed his eyes and shook his head. "No!" His knees gave way, and he toppled to the floor, crying as Ryuichi and Yuki glared fiercely at each other.

"HEY!" Hiro's voice rang angrily through the NG lobby. "Quit fucking around!" he stepped between the blonde and the musician. "Leave, now," he hissed to both, glaring dangerously at the two.

Yuki gave a half-hearted shrug, and left without a second thought. Ryuichi was more reluctant to leave, staring guiltily down at Shuichi.

"Hey… Nakano-san… tell him… that I'm sorry, okay?" he mumbled, staring at the guitarist.

Hiro gave a stiff nod, leaning down to comfort his best friend.

"Hey, Shu, come on. Just tell Ryuichi to screw off if you don't want—"

"That's the problem, Hiro!" Shuichi wailed, throwing his arms around his best friend. "I don't want him to stop! I love them both!"

"Well then," the redhead drawled, leaning back on his heels. "Why don't you go on a date with each to decide?"

"Wha…?"

"Well you can't just decide with them having catfights over you, you know?"

Shuichi sniffed, smiling weakly at his friends. "C-can you believe it? Two of the hottest guys in Japan are fighting over me?" he said softly, wiping away his tears.

Hiroshi ruffled Shuichi's hair. "That's the Shu I know. How about this, I take care of the little guy while you settle things up, okay?"

In the background, Riku blinked, looking back and forth between Hiro and Shuichi. He then waved, smiling.

Shuichi laughed softly, rising. "I'll do that, I think."

* * *

Shuichi stood awkwardly at the door to his and Yuki's apartment. He was torn between just bolting in or ringing the doorbell to announce his presence; Yuki's comment still burned deeply inside of him. 'To come home or to move out…'

The pink haired vocalist settled with the doorbell.

A disgruntled Yuki opened the door, and Shuichi launched himself—a little too enthusiastically— around the novelist's middle.

The blonde gaped, quickly grabbing his falling cigarette before it could fall onto the younger man that was attached to his waist. "Sh…Shuichi?"

"We are so going on a date," the pop idol squealed.

Yuki could straightforwardly say that he was not easily flabbergasted, but this had him floored. "Shuichi?" he mumbled, frozen to the spot.

Shuichi pulled back, scolding Yuki with his gaze. "I'm going to change, and then we're going to the Beach! It's a pretty day, and it'll be a good place to go on a date!" He breezed past Yuki, grinning from ear to ear.

Yuki looked around, waiting for someone to jump out and go "CANDID CAMERA! Shuichi really does hate your guts!" It didn't happen. "Alright," he mumbled, though Shuichi was already long gone.

A few minutes the singer emerged, wearing a pair of jean shorts with song lyrics doodled all over them, and an old Bad Luck tour shirt. His hair was tucked neatly into a newsboy hat, and pink sunglasses were folded upon his collar. "To the Beach!" he cried, bounding down the hallway and out the door.

Yuki grabbed his sunglasses and car keys, following helplessly behind Shuichi.

During the drive, Yuki snuck a glance over at Shuichi, who was reading a magazine. "Hey, why did you…?"

"Suddenly decide to go on a date with you? We-ell… I'm not too sure who I want to stay with," he admitted, frowning, "So I asked Hiro. He said to go on a date with both you and Sakuma-san, and see who I feel the most in love with."

Yuki shrugged; he'd used that tactic in his novels several times… To disastrous conclusions, but he would _definitely_ ignore that.

"And I like the Beach," Shuichi said defiantly. "It should be nice and empty today…"

The blonde shrugged again; the Beach was a lake that was made up like a beach on the ocean, with a wave machine on the far side of the lake. There were water slides and whatnot, the park's main attraction being for little kids. Shuichi liked it because it was mostly empty during the school year. That and it was the first thing that actually came to his mind.

Yuki sighed; at least Shuichi was cute when he was being creative. Even though the Beach wasn't exactly romantic…

While in the car, Shuichi stared out the window, his fist underneath his chin. He'd chosen the spot for a reason. If Yuki couldn't prove that he enjoyed his company anywhere, then Yuki wasn't for him. Shuichi wasn't the type who fell for conditional love.

Twenty minutes later, they were there. After their tickets were paid for, Shuichi ran off and promptly got himself wet and dirty.

"Heeeeeeey, Yuki! Come build a sandcastle with me!"

Yuki sighed, laughing softly at Shuichi's childish attitude. Nevertheless, he sat beside the bubblegum pop singer, and balled a handful of sand up, only to have it slide through his fingers. "Uh…"

The musician laughed jubilantly, pointing to the water's edge. "You have to use water to make it stick together! I'll go get us some buckets, alright?" he giggled, starting to stand.

Yuki grabbed him, pulling Shuichi's face close for a kiss. The boy squeaked softly, but tentatively curled his fingers into the novelist's sleeves.

Not knowing if he was completely allowed, Yuki slid his tongue forward, and Shuichi jumped away, blinking owlishly. "Oh, um… sorry," he mumbled, blushing. "I didn't expect…"

Yuki looked away. "It's going to rain."

"What?"

The blonde pointed up to the sky, which was filling with dark gray clouds slowly. Shuichi mumbled a soft 'oh', but cuddled against Yuki anyway. "It doesn't matter," he mumbled.

The novelist sighed, hugging Shuichi. "It'll be okay."

Shuichi looked up, his eyes wide with naivety and distrust, the slight pout of his lips showing Yuki that the boy doubted if everything would really turn out all right.

"It will be…"

Shuichi sighed, closing his eyes.

The two sat like that for a long time, until it actually started to rain. As the drops fell down, Yuki realized that Shuichi had fallen asleep.

He shook his head, then scooped the pink-haired singer into his arms, carrying him to his car bridal style, wondering what would come after this.


	4. Chapter 4: Falling Apart

_A/N: Um… What can I say? This chapter equals angst! Not my fault; I didn't control Yuki originally! Blame it on Sin-chan!! –pushes her forward- OH! Beware of country music references! There's only one, but I assure you, if you've heard the song, you'll get the chorus stuck in your head! Chaa! _

_(OMFG! Who watches Death Note?! Did you know that the same VA did BOTH Ryuichi and L in Japan?! THAT MEANS L CAN SING! -dies a happy death-) _

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**Chapter Four: Falling Apart**

As Yuki drove home, he thought. Harder than he normally allowed himself to. Shuichi slept soundly in the backseat, and the novelist sighed.

He cared for the brat, really he did. … It was just hard. Not hard to care, mind you, just hard to actually get it across. Shuichi's gush-fests easily sparked the inner romantic inside of himself, and often Yuki found himself wanting to give in to the pink-haired musician's plaintive whines for dates and kisses; so he stopped himself by shutting Shuichi up.

Not the best course of action to take, Yuki now realized.

Growling softly, the blonde stepped on the gas, his car speeding down the deserted and rain-slicked freeway. He just wanted to get home; he wanted to talk to Shuichi…

"What the hell am I going to tell him?!" The romance novelist hissed, rolling his eyes as he slowed once he entered the city limits.

Within five minutes, they were home, and Yuki was shaking Shuichi awake.

The boy blinked awake, his large violet eyes blurry with sleep. "Wha—? Yuki… Hi," he mumbled, yawning.

Yuki chuckled, gently pulling Shuichi into his arms, carrying the owl-eyed boy to bed.

Shuichi looked around sadly, biting his lip. "This is your bed," he insisted quietly, sitting up.

Yuki recognized the soft sadness that bit into the musician's voice: Shuichi had been sleeping in the guestroom for at least two months now. "I don't care," he grumbled, sitting on the side of the bed. "You can sleep here if you want to. You live here…"

"Yuki," Shuichi intoned, shaking his head. "Why are you being so damn nice all of a sudden?"

Yuki started. This was not, repeat, not the conversation he had wanted to have with Shuichi!

"I… I don't know… I just… was…"

"Is it because I had to choose between you and Sakuma-san," the boy cut in, his voice sharp. Yuki looked up into Shuichi's eyes, and they gleamed with something dangerous, something that was already broken…

"I… yes," Yuki whispered. "But I really—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Shuichi slid off the bed, walking with deliberate slowness towards the door. "This just means that it was all conditional… You just…"

"Hey, wait, you! I didn't say anything of the sort!" Yuki shouted, standing up with his fists clenched.

Shuichi spun around, tears sparkling against his lavender irises. "I said I don't want to hear it! Eiri Yuki, are you so caught up in your own little world not to realize what's going on? Someone else is in love with me! And I… I may be falling in love with him! Please, be straight with me, tell me, please… Do you love me or not!?"

Yuki winced; he heard the blatant begging in Shuichi's voice. "I… don't…kn..."

"You don't know…" Shuichi shook his head, then left, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

He raced into the guestroom, and threw some clothes, his lyrics book and his blanket into a bag, changed his clothes, and picked up his cell phone.

He pressed the speed dial, and waited for Ryuichi to pick up. (He silently thanked the spastic idol for programming it into his phone a few weeks before.)

"Hey, Sakuma-san… I'm sorry," Shuichi whispered. "It's late… I know…"

"There's no problem, Shuichi… Is something wrong?"

Shuichi almost smiled, but ended up in a grimace, a twist of a laugh and tears plastered onto his cute face. Ryuichi always worried about him, didn't he? "I… would you mind meeting me somewhere…" he paused, looking up at the clock on his wall. "I think clubs are the only places open right now... but do you think, if I gave you the address, would you come to see me?" the singer whispered softly, trying to keep from pleading.

"Yeah, of course I can Shuichi… But… are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, nothing at all," Shuichi said softly, trying to sound nonchalant, but he knew as a fellow vocalist, that Ryu would be able to hear the tremor in his voice. "I… I'm just falling apart here," he laughed, his voice finally breaking into tears. "Nothing's wrong, nope, not here," he sobbed, holding the phone tightly to his ear. "Nothing at all!"

"Shuichi," Ryuichi said sharply. "Calm down, or you'll go into hysterics," he advised. "Shhh… Tell me the address; I'll meet you there, I promise."

Shuichi trembled, holding the phone tightly. "I… I…"

Ryuichi could hear Shuichi dissolving into tears on the other line, and he began to talk about random things, from band rehearsals to what Kumagoro's favorite color was.

Hearing Ryu babble calmed Shuichi considerably. Hiccupping, he managed to talk. "Can you just come and pick me up at Yuki's house? I don't think I can walk anywhere."

"Yeah. I'll come get you; be waiting for me, ne Shuichi?"

"I will."

* * *

By the time Ryuichi came to pick Shuichi up, the boy had calmed considerably, and was waiting on Yuki's front porch. He wore a simple outfit, and had his headphones glued to his head. 

He watched as Ryuichi came up the stairs. The older idol plopped down beside him, and Shuichi leaned against him.

"You alright?"

Shuichi nodded, angling himself so he could wrap his arms around his idol's thin shoulders. "I'll be okay," he mumbled.

Ryuichi nodded quietly. He just wanted to grin and smile, but he knew he couldn't goof this hurt away. He knew what had happened. "Shuichi, you deserve—"

"Better? I know," the boy mumbled despondently. "I think I'm over-reacting., it's not really that bad… he was.. Just the best I've ever had…"

The boy hiccupped quietly, and Ryu sighed, picking the boy up as he stood. "We're going on a date," he declared, glaring down into Shuichi's tear-stained violet eyes. "And I'll show you that there's such thing as best-est!"

Shuichi giggled softly, sniffling between his laughter. "Alright. Can I choose the place?"

Ryuichi softened, grinning tenderly. "Of course you can, Shu-chan. I shall be your chauffeur for the evening. I'll take you anywhere within reason."

The pink-haired pop-star gave his elder idol a peck on the cheek, whispering the address of his desired destination.

Ryuichi smiled. "I can do that."

In fact, the 'in reason' part was a lie; Ryuichi would have done anything to keep Shuichi from falling apart.


	5. Chapter 5: Music or the Misery?

_**A/N:** Don't ask who does Micro Mini Cool; it's a real song… And it's Japanese, done by a chick. It was on the radio, and I thought—"Those are club tunes!" so I added it in. Um… Look it up on Youtube… But I think it may be an old song… And the other song, "Music or the Misery" is by FallOut Boy… :sweatdrop: So yeah! Happier… somewhat chapter. This is where I feel at home! Angst!! And I know, Sin-chan. I changed… A LOT. It… ran away with itself… _

**Chapter Five: Music or the Misery?**

The first thought that Ryuichi had was that of wondering why Shuichi chose a club called 'Ecstasy'; the following thought was wondering why the club chose to be called 'Ecstasy'. 

It was a club that's front façade was fairly open to the public, but was obviously intended for the more privileged of the Hollywood publicity. The windows were pitch black on the outside, but from inside the Milky-Way themed club, they were pristinely clear, loudly bragging of their one-way window prowess. The interior was beautiful, the walls draped with dark purple velvet that simmered and sparkled with ingrained silver glitter. The ceiling was the same eggplant color, small pinpricks of light giving it the impression of a star-filled night. The tables were onyx marble, set low to the floor. The benches were wide and black leather, obviously made for making out… and other… things… 

The booths edged the circle inner-chamber of the club, surrounding a raised, glass dance floor that started as black. From the edges the smoky glass faded into clear, and glitter filled water sparkled underneath. 

Ryuichi raised his eyebrow, wondering how long the club had been open; he'd been to almost every one in Tokyo, but he'd never even managed to hear of this one. 

It also pained him to see how familiar Shuichi was with the staff. He even had a favorite booth. And drink. The bartender knew exactly how much and what Shuichi wanted when he approached her. What surprised her was the fact that Shuichi wasn't alone. 

"Is that your boyfriend, Shuichi-chan?" She asked, sliding the rock star his drink. 

Shuichi laughed as he watched the barkeep eye Ryuichi scathingly. "No, no, Maria. He's not the boyfriend. Maybe someday he will, but the one you know of kinda dumped me brutally." 

"So then I assume you want a strawberry margarita after you finish that one?" 

Shuichi shrugged and headed back to the booth he was sharing with Ryu. 

"Everyone knows your name," Ryuichi said, picking up his own glass. It wasn't a question, but a bland, inquisitive statement.

Shuichi winced, giving an apologetic smile. "I wish I could tell you that it was because I'm famous." 

"Shuichi… Do you come here when you're sad?" 

The forlorn musician picked up his drink and swirled it softly, the caked on sugar and salt falling into the light pink mixture in clumps. He sighed, nodding. "Yeah. A lot. I got invited to the opening a few months ago and sang. They said I was welcome back anytime." 

Ryuichi huffed, reaching across the table to flick Shuichi on the forehead. "Well today's the day you come here happy!" 

Shuichi chuckled. "Yeah… It is," he agreed. "But other than having wonderful drinks, they play great music." He grinningly pointed to a large speaker nearby, which was blasting Micro Mini Cool. 

"Anything we've sang?" 

The pink-haired boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Lots and lots of Nittle Grasper!" 

"Any of your stuff?" Ryu grinned as he watched Shuichi duck slightly, blushing crimson. The older idol laughed, and leaned idly back into the bench, waving his hand across the air. "Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck; the best two bands of the century," he teased. 

"No," Shuichi quickly protested, waving his hands and bowing against the table. "You flatter us, really, Sakuma-san! But we've got such a long way to go before we can even be mentioned in the same sentence with Nittle Grasper!" 

Ryuichi raised an eyebrow. "And you're contradicting _me_, Ryuichi Sakuma… Why?" 

Shuichi's purple eyes widened in shock and he literally jumped across the table into Ryu's lap, begging for forgiveness. 

The brunette laughed loudly, ruffling Shuichi's hair. "It's fine, Shu-chan, calm down!" 

Shuichi hefted a sigh of relief, sliding onto the bench next to Ryuichi. He lay his head on the stone table, stretching his arms across it's surface, his hand splayed flat. "We've got a bit to do, but not so much that it takes a long time… I really love music; Sakuma-san, did you know that I helped someone with it? I got a letter a few weeks ago from a fan who said Bad Luck's new single stopped her from committing suicide," he mumbled happily, his eyes finally glowing like they should. 

Ryuichi tipped his head to the side, grinning. "Really? That's wonderful." 

Shuichi beamed up at his idol. "I wrote the lyrics myself… have you heard it? It's called 'Specters'." 

"I can't say that I have," Ryu lied, "Sing it for me." 

"_Can it all be stripped away _

_Can I really start again_

_Can it really be forgiven _

_The specters of yesterday? _

_And I waste the time again _

_Thinking all it through_

_Knowing this isn't the way _

_To find myself to you_

_It will only hurt us more_

_If I don't live it out_

_Erasing it all _

_Won't soothe the old pout_

_So the thoughts are all stripped away_

_And we'll just start again_

_I'll forgive you once more, _

_And the specters of yesterday_

_Will fall all out _

_With the glass_

_With the nails_

_With the blood_

_And with _

_The _

_Shame."_

Ryuichi smiled, hugging Shuichi tightly. The younger boy cuddled instinctively against his older idol, humming the rest of his song happily. 

The older man stared down at the boy, sighing. 'I hope he'll be happier now,' he thought wistfully, instinctively curling his arm around the younger vocalist's waist. 

Shuichi looked up at him, blinking cutely. "Wanna dance?" he asked softly. 

Ryu laughed; "Why not?" 

The pink haired boy slid out of the booth, with Ryuichi following. They stepped up onto the dance platform, water and glitter illuminating them from below. A fast past English rock song began pumping over the speakers, and Ryuichi smiled, holding out his hand for Shuichi. 

The boy stuck out his tongue, swaying to the beat. The brunette soon joined him, keeping close to Shuichi. 

"_**I got your love letters**_

_**Corrected for grammar**_

_**And sent them back…"**_

Yuki noted two things when he walked into Club Ecstasy; only Shuichi would come to a place with a name so provocative… And Shuichi was up on stage dancing with Ryuichi. 

He groaned, heading inconspicuously to the bar. 'Damn, he bounces back fast…' he mused, watching the two dance. It infuriated him just to watch; the two were close, the older musician's hands traveling down Shuichi's body at will… And the pink-haired pop-star looked like he was really enjoying it. 

"_**It's true romance is dead**_

_**I shot it in the chest in the chest **_

_**And in the head…"**_

Shuichi gave a short start as he felt Ryu's hands travel down his arms, but then he gave into to the older man, rocking against the brunette in time to the music. His eyes slid shut and he surrendered completely to the music and his mind. 

It wasn't a date, he told himself quietly. _It's not a date…_

"I gave up," he whispered quietly, arching his neck to press his cheek to Ryuichi's lower jaw. "I'm not falling in love anymore… Not even with you…" 

"_**I've never seen a heart I couldn't break…"**_

Ryuichi gave a low chuckle, raking his nails down Shuichi's arms, watching a moan build in the boy's throat. "I beg to differ Shuichi," he breathed, leaning down to the younger musician." 

"_**Which came first? **_

_**The music or the misery? **_

_**We're high fashion**_

_**We're last chances…" **_

Shuichi groaned softly, feeling Ryuichi's salty lips descend upon his own. His mouth parted, and the older man's tongue quickly dipped into his mouth; not to be completely dominated, the pink-haired vocalist curled his tongue around the one invading his mouth. The taste of apples lingered against Ryu's tongue, and he almost melted. 

His knees did buckle, however, when a firm hand slid across his thighs, and Shuichi pressed his entire weight against Ryuichi's body, knowing full well what it would do to the older man. 

"_**I am indifferent yet**_

_**I am a total wreck; **_

_**I'm every cliché**_

_**But I simply do it best…" **_

Yuki clutched his glass tighter, then drowned it of all its contents. This pissed him off to all hell, and if he didn't know that Shuichi was probably happier with how things were going at the moment… He'd go up onto that dance floor and blast Ryuichi Sakuma's brains all across Japan. 

He ordered another vodka, and drowned his silently breaking heart with it. 

"_**Make the biggest scene**_

_**Make the biggest…" **_

Everyone was staring; Shuichi knew it. Two hot guys—whose identities were plastered across Japan daily—were basically having sex on the dance floor. 

But he didn't care. It felt good, and he was happy—

So dammit, he'd let Ryuichi screw him right there on the dance floor if it so pleased the older man. 

"Hey… Shuichi…" 

The boy's violet eyes opened lazily, and he gave a grunt of disapproval, digging his nails into Ryu's back. At the moment, his legs were looped around Ryuichi's thin waist, and his lips were red, swollen, and slick with saliva. "What?" 

The older idol's husky voice sounded near his ear; "Let's finish this in my car…" 

Shuichi smirked a grin that was similar to Tohma's and a shudder ran down Ryuichi's spine, earning a moan from his pink-haired friend. 

Oh yeah, he took that as a yes. 

"_**I went to sleep a poet**_

_**And I woke up a fraud…" **_

Eiri Yuki briefly wondered what was wrong with him; he was the best romance novelist in the world, for cripes sake! But as he watched Ryu carry Shuichi out of the club… He knew being able to write didn't cut it when it came to speaking of love.

"_**Which came first…? The music or the misery?"**_


	6. Chapter 6: Choices

**A/N: **_Ah, an update at last, eh? Between school and exams and stress, I had to take a break from all of my stories, not just this one. But now I'm back, and since summer means writing tirades, I'll hopefully get this story moving with me and Sin-chan. If not, we'll discuss what we want to happen, and I'll take creative liberties. See, what you guys get is actually MY interpretation of our RP. It's been reformatted and rewritten entirely, so when Sin-chan goes back to read it, she gets surprised. So on the subject of this chapter, it's almost a filler. Almost, but not quite. There's some important stuff hidden in it. I'm not happy with it. I think my favorite thing about it is Ryuichi's similarity to Yuki in the morning. And I can't quite see Ryu in a large house, but it was part of the original, so I couldn't do too much about it. –sigh- You guys will get a new chapter pretty soon. I thought this one'd be better, seeing as it was written to Super Junior. (Who you guys should all go out and listen too, awesome K-pop band, with SUPER hot members. –grin-)_

_So to those who ACTUALLY READ THIS! Enjoy!! (The song is "Pop Princess" by The Click Five; it was the poppiest thing I could think of at three in the morning...)_

* * *

**Chapter Six: Choice**

"Does this mean you're going to choose me?" Ryuichi asked languidly, watching in amusement as Shuichi struggled to pull his clothes back on.

Shuichi grunted softly, tugging on the zipper to his vest. "Does your car have tinted windows?"

"Yeah… But that's not the answer to the question," the brunette answered, frowning.

The younger idol ignored him, blanching. He reached behind him, groping for the handle. He opened the door, falling out onto the cement. "Thank you for a great time," he cheered. "I'm better now! I'll see you at work!"

"Shuichi!" Ryuichi slid out of his car, tugging on his own shirt—not bothering with the buttons. "Stop!"

The pink-haired boy winced, then turned around. "I'll see you around, okay?"

Ryu caught Shuichi's wrist when the boy tried to run away. "You're afraid of choosing aren't you? … He was faking, wasn't he? …And now you're afraid that I'm doing the same thing. Shuichi… You—"

"All I wanted was to be happy! I wanted to be stay with him, and I wanted to love him! I never asked for anything at all! Never! I'm tired of it all! I'm tired of him throwing me out, and I'm tired of being yelled at for trying to love someone! I'm tired of him toying with me with not knowing what love is! I thought we'd be fine; I'd thought we'd smoothed it all out! But you know what?! We haven't! I hate it!

"I just hate it! I'm tired of it! I've never asked for this… I'm tired of being heartbroken, and I'm tired of crying… I don't want to cry anymore… Please, help me," he mumbled, lowering his head, his hair curtaining his tear-filled eyes.

Ryuichi gently pulled him forward, hugging the younger boy tightly. "Shuichi…"

"I don't want to live like that anymore, Ryuichi…"

The older idol blinked at the sudden use of his first name, then gave a soft snort. He ruffled Shuichi's hair, staring down at the boy fondly. "Whoever said that you had to? Shu-chan, that's your choice alone; you don't have to make anyone happy but yourself."

Shuichi wrinkled his nose. "You're awfully philosophical for someone who carries a pink rabbit…"

Ryuichi gave a blasé chuckle. "What can I say? I can have my moments… But never insult the bunny, Shu-chan," he said seriously.

The pink-haired singer gave a soft giggle, cuddling against Ryu's chest. "You'll never pretend, will you?"

"Never; I swear."

"Then I choose you…"

Ryuichi blinked, a soft mixture of pain tainting the overwhelming elation that flooded and crashed his heart. That pain was enough to keep him sane, however; something deep within him told him to keep wary of Shuichi's heart. "You…you're serious?"

Shuichi nodded, silent. Ryu hugged the pink-haired boy tightly, pressing his face into Shuichi's hair. "Thank you," he breathed.

Hesitantly, the pop star wound his fingers into Ryuichi's shirt, letting a choked cry escape him. Tears began to pour heavily down his face, and he stood in Ryu's hold, sobbing heavily.

Even though the younger idol was crying like someone had died, Ryuichi could sense the difference in the tears; the first bought was bitter… Now Shuichi was crying like he lost something. Indeed, Ryu agreed, the smaller boy had lost something…

But hopefully, he'd gain something…

Ryu scooped Shuichi into his arms, and carried him back to his car. "Ne, ne, Shuichi," he murmured, setting the boy into the passenger's seat. "I'm gonna take you to my house! We'll have a sleepover! Kumagoro will like that. You will too, won't you?"

Shuichi gave a shaky nod, hiccupping.

"You'll be sparkly again in no time! We'll eat lots and lots of ice cream, and we'll play video games, and all sorts of stuff! We can even play hooky if you'd like."

Ryuichi slowly stood, watching Shuichi calm down. He made his way to the driver's side, starting the car as he slid in. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," Shuichi murmured, drawing his knees to his chin.

Ryuichi reached behind him, and pulled his jacket from the backseat; he draped it over Shuichi. "You want to listen to music?"

"Uhm… do you have the demo tracks that we're supposed to do?"

"Oh! You mean the unreleased songs that we're re-doing for that concert?"

Shuichi nodded quietly, snuggling under Ryu's faded jean jacket. "I'd like to hear how they originally sounded like."

With a sigh, Ryuichi produced a CD and slid it in to play. "Gee, these are old, Shu-chan! It's like I'm dragging out my past! Oh, but the new one is on there too—I accidentally sang the whole song during first recording, so I put it on here…"

Shuichi giggled, giving a small smile. "I'll pay attention, then."

The rest of the ride was silent, save for the music and periodical comments on it. Finally, they had reached Ryuichi's house, and as the older idol pulled in, Shuichi gave an audible gasp.

"Damn! Ryuichi-san, your house is huge," Shuichi mumbled, staring out the window in awe.

"Eh. It's too big for my taste, but I enjoy the space sometimes."

"Your house could eat Yuki's for a _snack_!"

"You can play soccer in the bathroom," Ryuichi mumbled, only partly sarcastic.

Sparkles and flowers seemed to hang over Shuichi's head as the singer stared in disbelief. "It's a real rock-star's mansion!"

"It's Tohma's," Ryuichi remarked, exiting the car. "He bought it for me, thinking my Tokyo flat wasn't glamorous back when Nittle Grasper got really popular. I only live in about a fifth of it…"

Shuichi seemed to ignore the brunette's comments, staring at the house even while he exited the car.

With a groan of frustration, Ryuichi picked up Shuichi and lugged him inside. "Neeeeeeee, Shu-chan, Kuma's getting lonely! Stop gawking and play with him when we get inside!"

The pink-haired boy giggled, nodding as he was carried up the walkway to the front door.

As glamorous as the outside was, the inside was rather plain. "Don't you decorate?"

Ryuichi snorted. "I do in my rooms—like I said, I don't live in the entire house. I'd get lost."

Shuichi nodded knowingly. With a sigh, Ryu grabbed the pop-star's hand, guiding him through the rooms. "And, here, is where I live," he finally announced. "Well, my room, at least."

Ryuichi's room was resplendent in bright colors and op art. In one corner there was a full-sized bed with a large, green flower taking up most of the white comforter. The walls were white as well, and the piping along the floor was the same green as the flower. A large desk sported a laptop and sheets of blank scores. A synthesizer sat next to the desk, and the walls were covered in large shelves that held CDs, DVDs, manga, books, and different knick-knacks.

"Whoa… it's so bright," Shuichi remarked, heading to flop on Ryuichi's bed.

Ryuichi followed suit. "I'll show you the rest tomorrow."

Shuichi rolled over, curling up against his idol. "Is that a promise?" he mumbled.

"Of course it is," Ryu chastised.

"It'd better be. You see," Shuichi sighed, wrapping his arms around Ryu's waist, "Men are hypocrites."

"So are you," the older idol replied gently.

"Mm?"

"You're a man; so therefore, you're a hypocrite as well."

"I am, I am," Shuichi murmured. "I always swore I'd love Yuki, but now… I think I'm falling in love with you." The pink haired musician closed his eyes, and was then asleep in minutes.

Ryuichi remained awake for some time, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm happy, I'm so happy that you're a hypocrite, Shu-chan… I'm so happy."

* * *

_Pop princess, _

_Hold my hand, _

_Pop princess, _

_I'm a fan, _

_Pop princess I need you now, _

_Freak me out, turn me inside out!_

_Pop princess,_

_Make me smile,_

_Pop princess,_

_Drive me wild,_

_Pop princess I need you now…_

"Nuuh, Shuichi, your cell phone," Ryuichi mumbled, pushing the sleeping vocalist off his stomach.

Shuichi gave a sleepy moan, raising his head. "What?" he asked, rubbing his eyes cutely.

"That god-forsaken piece of technology from _hell_ is ringing in your back pocket," Ryu groaned, rolling away from the sleepy boy.

Shuichi reached into his pocket and flipped open the bright pink contraption, "Whassthematter?" he mumbled, scratching his head.

_"Shuichi, where are you, man?!"_

"Huh? Hiro?"

_"Shuichi, where the freak are you,"_ Hiro demanded, and even though they were on the phone, Shuichi could almost see his friend's disapproving scowl.

"I was sleeping until just now, thank you," Shuichi muttered.

_"Where?!"_

"A place. Why?"

_"Oh, forget about it, you were supposed to be at the studio hours ago! Normally, it's only Sakuma-san who comes in late on duet days!"_

Shuichi gave a nervous laugh. "Well, um… I'll be there… uhm… eventually," he giggled sheepishly, "In fact; I think I may be there at the same time as Sakuma-san."

Hiro groaned. _"Whatever, just get both of your butts down here; Tohma's having an aneurysm now; Sakano gave up the ghost hours ago."_

With that, Hiro hung up, leaving Shuichi looking guiltily at the phone. "Uhm, Ryuichi-san, we should get ready to go."

Ryuichi rolled over, staring at Shuichi. "We're rock stars. We sleep in, got it?"

Shuichi gave a soft 'meep', then nodded.

"And, I am so changing your ring tone to something more bearable."

* * *

After three phone calls later, Ryuichi and Shuichi eventually arrived at the studio. "Wow, Ryuichi-san, I never knew you were so scary in the morning," Shuichi mumbled.

"Only when I'm awakened by really bad, loud ring tones, Shu-chan," the brunette said, flashing a smile that was eerily similar to Yuki's 'I'm being really nice right now, so don't do anything wrong, or I'll shove this fire extinguisher down your throat' smile.

Shuichi smiled, nodding, then scurried off to Bad Luck's studio…

Where he was immediately KO'ed by a flying stereo, thrown by Suguru.

"Finally! You decide to grace us!" he hissed, glaring angrily at Shuichi. "And don't you give us this 'unfortunate artist' crap!"

Shuichi grinned, flashing a peace-sign. "I can do anything today! No worries, Fujisaki!"

Everyone in the room peered suspiciously at Shuichi.

"Uuuh-huuh," they droned, turning their backs on Shuichi.

"ARE YOU IGNORING ME?! WELL DAMN YOU!" The vocalist shrieked.

Hiro laughed, draping an arm around Shuichi. "You hooked up with Sakuma, didn't you?"

Shuichi blushed. "Well…"

"If that's what you're going to choose, then," the redhead said with a shrug.

"Are you saying that I chose wrong?"

The guitarist smiled, winking at his best friend. "You're reading in too much."

Shuichi plopped into a chair, leaning back. "No, you're insinuating something."

"Are you happy with your choice?"

The pop-star thought for a moment, tipping his chair back farther. "Well, yeah," he said simply, blinking up at Hiro.

"Then I'm happy for you."

Shuichi grinned, then toppled backwards onto the floor as his chair fell. "Ouf!"

It was just one of those days.


End file.
